This weekend's matchup with Ohio State and Oregon has a lot at stake. Maybe not to the extent that both teams expected coming into the season, but for the Buckeyes the urgency is at a season-high with just a few weeks remaining.
After an early season loss to Texas, followed by a likely season-ending injury to Julian Sayin, then another loss to USC, the Buckeyes' season is on the brink of total collapse. After coming into the year as the No. 1 team in the country, the season has not gone according to plan and this week may determine which direction the rest of the season sways.
Now ranked 12th in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, there's no room for error -- and despite a much different Oregon team coming to Columbus than what was
expected, it's still a team with a lot of talent and a lot to prove.
For Ohio State, it'll be Luke Fahey's second career start and he'll be looking to build on a performance against USC when he totaled 260 yards on 21-of-38 passing with one touchdown in his first start. Despite a 30-18 loss to the Trojans, and offensive struggles throughout the night, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning sees someone who can carry this team to the goals that are still in front of them.
“I remember Luke coming out of high school. He’s an operator. He’s a winner," Lanning said this week. "This is an offense that has a lot of moving parts. They won the (USC) game in a lot of categories. Really the difference was scoring in the red area. It wasn’t the best conditions either.”
Lanning brings in a Ducks team that is No. 23 in the CFP rankings and 5-3 on the season. A season-ending injury to Dante Moore also caused a shift in expectations for Oregon, and while the season has swayed off track, there is still talent on that roster and a lot to play for.
As Lanning mentioned, Ohio State is still making adjustments to the offense following Fahey's first legit in-game action. Still with a lot of improvements needed, the offense is one area that Lanning knows will cause fits for the Ducks' defense.
“They make it really difficult,” Lanning said. “They’re a game-plan defense. What they do one week they might not do the next week. The variety they provide.”
Some changes yes, but one part of the offense that will stay the same is the desire to get the ball in the hands of All-American Jeremiah Smith. Smith, who had 10 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown last week, will look to improve from his lowest yard per catch average of the season.
As every opposing coach knows, Smith's playmaking ability is second-to-none. And defending him is as difficult a matchup as there is in all of football.
“We’re going to see if we can play with 12 ... Jeremiah is special," Lanning said. "You have to know where he’s at all the time. He’s certainly pro ready. He probably was two years ago. They’ll move him around. Everyone defends him differently.”
There's no doubt that some major storylines will come from this game after the weekend, it's just a matter of if Ohio State will be on the positive side of things, and keep its season alive.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: 'They’re a game-plan defense': Dan Lanning breaks down OSU offense
